Are you a bookseller? Are you an aspiring novelist?

Then be inspired by our new book We Can't All Be Astronauts and enter our competition (in association with The Bookseller).

"We Can't All Be Astronauts is a very funny look at the life of an aspiring novelist and frustrated literary dreams. We're delighted to be working on this competition to find a potential literary star from the bookselling community, as we suspect that many booksellers also write in their spare time. We're hoping for entries from all different sorts of people who write all different sorts of books. Who knows what this may be the start of?" writes Ebury's Gillian Green.

Read an extract from We Can't All Be Astronauts by clicking here!

What's the prize?

Send the first 5 pages of your unpublished novel to us at Ebury and be in with the chance of having an extract published on our new book club website, editorial advice from one of our editors, along with a bottle of champagne and a signed copy of We Can't All Be Astronauts.

Ten runners up will also be sent a signed copy of We Can’t All Be Astronauts.

Simply email the first 5 pages of your novel and a 1 page synopsis to astronauts@eburypublishing.co.uk or post it to the address below.

Please read full terms and conditions before applying.

How to enter:

Entries may be emailed to astronauts@eburypublishing.co.uk or posted to We Can’t All Be Astronauts Competition, Ebury Press, 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1V 2SA

When entering, please include these details:

1. Name of entrant
2. Date of Birth
3. Title of novel
4. Address
5. Bookstore in which you work
6. Email address
   
7. Telephone number
   
8. Mobile
9. Date

I agree to abide by the conditions of entry and confirm that I accept the competition terms and conditions and meet the entry criteria.

1. T&Cs - By entering this competition you agree to accept and be bound by these terms and conditions. 
2. Entrants - This competition is open to the employees of booksellers in the UK or the Republic of Ireland only.
3. Dates – Entries will be accepted from Friday 1st May 2009 until 10th June 2009 (closing date).  The winning entrant and runner up will be notified by telephone in the week beginning 22nd June.   The name of the winning entrant and each of the ten runners up will be posted on the following Random House website: [www.readersplace.co.uk] on 22nd June. Ebury Publishing (promoter) reserves the right to extend the closing date.
4. Prizes -
   • An extract from the winning entry will be published on the Random House ReadersPlace website [www.readersplace.co.uk].   The winner will also receive a bottle of champagne, a copy of We Can’t All Be Astronauts by Tim Clare and an editorial critique by Editorial Director Gillian Green; and
   • Each of the ten runners up will be sent a copy of We Can’t All Be Astronauts by Tim Clare.
   • Any enquiries relating to the above prizes should be emailed to: astronauts@eburypublishing.co.uk
5. Copyright / Ownership – Entrants will own and retain any copyright in their entries. 
6. Entry Specifications – In order to enter this competition, entrants must email or post the first five pages of an original fiction work written solely by the entrant (novel) to the promoter.  Each entry must be:
   • the first 5 pages of a novel plus a synopsis of the novel;
   • in English;
   • a work of fiction – any genre;
   • original, not previously professionally or commercially published and not in breach of any third party right; and
   • typed, as a Word document if submitted by email to astronauts@eburypublishing.co.uk, and printed on A4 sized paper if submitted by post to the promoter’s address below. 
   • Each entrant warrants that their entry does not libel, defame, invade the privacy of or otherwise infringe or violate any law or regulation or the intellectual property rights of any party.  The promoter will only accept one entry per entrant.  The promoter regrets that it cannot return entries. Entrants are advised to retain a copy of their entries.
7. Unacceptable Entries - Entries received after the closing date and handwritten entries will not be accepted. The promoter will not be responsible for delayed, undelivered or lost entries.
8. Events - Events may occur which render the awarding of the above prizes impossible due to reasons beyond the control of the promoter and the promoter may, at its absolute discretion, vary, amend, or suspend the prizes with or without notice. 
9. Judges - The competition will be judged by four judges who will look for emerging talent and seek to identify writers of excellence. The judges’ decisions will be final and no correspondence will be entered into in relation to their decisions or the competition.
10. Winning Entrant - The winning entrant grants the promoter any necessary permissions/licenses in relation to the publication of the winning entry on [www.readersplace.co.uk].  The winning entrant also agrees to the promoter’s use of his/her name in relation to any publicity material.  
11. Data - Personal details will only be retained and used by the promoter for the purposes of this competition and will be deleted thereafter.  Personal details will not be passed on to third parties.
12. The Promoter - The promoter’s contact details are: Ebury Publishing, The Random House Group Limited, 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1V 2SA, astronauts@eburypublishing.co.uk